Russian Embroidery and the Pre-Christian Past

Russian traditional embroidery is generally thought of as a decorative art form, based on anthropomorphic or zoomorphic patterns that have their origins in Russian folklore. However, 'Russian folklore' implies a great deal more than just decorative applied arts: these patterns are in fact stylized representations of the deities and mythological figures of pre-Christian Russian religion.

The image on the left is an embroidered band from a mid-nineteenth-century woman's headdress, from Kargopol in the southern part of the Arkhangel'sk region of northern Russia. The central design shows the fertility goddess Makosh' flanked by two horses with woman riders, pulling ploughs behind them. Click on the image for an enlarged view.